My Favourite Albums of 2020
As has become a yearly tradition (and the only thing ever to be posted on this blog anymore), here are my favourite records of the past twelve months.… Read More My Favourite Albums of 2020
Category: Reviews
My Favourite Albums of 2019
There’s a lot that I’ve been grateful for this year, and I am happy to report that 2019 has been a pretty solid year for yours-truly (if not the world at large). I took up running, which meant I took up heavy music again, and I got slightly better at speaking Chinese, even if I… Read More My Favourite Albums of 2019
My Favourite Albums of 2018 (Another AOTY List)
I told myself I wasn’t going to write an AOTY list for 2018. Then I read everyone else’s AOTY list, and I decided I would. Here’s an AOTY list for 2018. By no means am I saying, definitively, that these are the best records of 2018 – I’m just saying they’re my favourites. I’ve included… Read More My Favourite Albums of 2018 (Another AOTY List)
[Bullet Music] The Wonder Years – Sister Cities (Album Review)
You’re probably reading this on a mobile phone; this probably means that the majority of your close family and friends are only a few seconds and several dial tones away. The entire world is resting in the palm of your hand, easily accessible regardless of the distance between yourself and those confined within. But, there… Read More [Bullet Music] The Wonder Years – Sister Cities (Album Review)
The CRM Monday Mix #4
Featuring: Kacey Musgraves / Listener / Manchester Orchestra / Household / THE FEVER 333 / George Ezra / Hot Mulligan / Hayley Williams / Julien Baker / William Fitzsimmons / Macseal / Marietta / Wil Wagner / The Streets / Wolf Alice / Now, Now / Kasabian / Noah Gundersen / Black Foxxes / Gender Roles… Read More The CRM Monday Mix #4
The CRM Monday Mix #3
Featuring: Franz Nicolay / Ben Marwood / The xx / Catfish and the Bottlemen / Broken Social Scene / Joseph / Fleet Foxes / Emily Yacina / The Menzingers / Owen / Trophy Eyes / Perma / The Smiths / Jessica Pratt / The Hotelier / Hot Mulligan / Stars Hollow / Grimes / Foxx… Read More The CRM Monday Mix #3
The CRM Monday Mix #2
Featuring: awakebutstillinbed / Muncie Girls / itoldyouiwouldeatyou / Phoebe Bridgers / Looming / Free Throw / The Bronx / Every Time I Die / Nervous Dater / Harmony Woods / Noname / The Written Years / Hovvdy / Nirvana / The Smith Street Band / Conjurer / Slingshot Dakota / Casey / Animal Flag /… Read More The CRM Monday Mix #2
The CRM Monday Mix #1 (Something New)
This afternoon I sat down to write a poem inspired by Kayo Chingonyi’s recent collection Kumukanda. It’s a wonderful debut collection, rooted heavily in a childhood spent immersed in music. It finds him laboring over mixtapes and old cassette players, spacing the seconds between songs to ensure smooth transitions and optimal exposure. I read it… Read More The CRM Monday Mix #1 (Something New)
My Favourite Records of 2017 (100-1)
It’s that time of year again. I went all the way back to January to pick out the one-hundred records that have made my 2017. Give it a read:… Read More My Favourite Records of 2017 (100-1)
Record of the Day #25 – A Day To Remember, Homesick
It’s been eight years, and I’m still not entirely sure how much I actually like this record. I do like it, it I remember going into it expecting it to be disappointing, and never really found enough within to chance the preconception. When Homesick dropped, British magazine Kerrang! gave Homesick a pretty damning 2/5, and part… Read More Record of the Day #25 – A Day To Remember, Homesick
Record of the Day #23 – Moose Blood, Moving Home
Here it is, the first record I ever owned. Even before I had a record player, I had Moose Blood’s debut 7″ Moving Home. Even just looking at these pictures gets me nice and nostalgic. This was where it all started, and what follows is four years of money I’ll never get back, but was spent… Read More Record of the Day #23 – Moose Blood, Moving Home
Record of the Day #22 – Somos, Temple Of Plenty
I had my first university seminar of my Master’s degree yesterday, and we spent a good amount of time discussing inspiration – what inspires us, how we inspire others, and how we seek out inspiration. I avoided mentioning that inspiration normally finds me at its most poetically potent after a drink or five, so instead… Read More Record of the Day #22 – Somos, Temple Of Plenty
Record of the Day #17 – Charles Bradley, Victim Of Love
This one hurts. Yesterday evening I was left saddened to hear of the passing of soul singer Charles Bradley, and woke up this morning feeling like I should write a few words about a musician I respect a great deal. Born in Florida in 1948, Bradley found success late in his life, releasing his debut… Read More Record of the Day #17 – Charles Bradley, Victim Of Love
Record of the Day #13 – Seahaven, Winter Forever
I woke up this morning and ventured outside to find Norwich decidedly wintry. Granted, it’s normally pretty cold here anyway, but today it felt cold. Maybe that’s what I get for deciding to do a food shop at eight in the morning. I was shivering like it was December, but maybe that’s also what I get for… Read More Record of the Day #13 – Seahaven, Winter Forever
Record of the Day #8 – The Used, Lies For The Liars
The Used dropped a new single this week, titled Over and Over Again, and some people aren’t feeling it. The single, taken from the bands upcoming seventh LP The Canyon is decidedly pop, and this pop sound continues to divide fans of the band. I’m not sure why, because The Used have been a band leaning… Read More Record of the Day #8 – The Used, Lies For The Liars
Record of the Day #5 – Fuck Buttons, Tarot Sport
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t start listening to Fuck Buttons partly because I liked their name. It’s a good name. I remember picking Tarot Sport up on Amsterdam and the ensuing look on my mother’s face when she asked me who’d made it. Fuck Buttons. A bit of a taboo, a bit of fun,… Read More Record of the Day #5 – Fuck Buttons, Tarot Sport
Record of the Day #3 – Enter Shikari, Take To The Skies
Earlier this year I sought press approval for popular UK festival ‘Slam Dunk,’ and was eventually rebuffed in my approach. I wasn’t necessarily disappointed to be missing the festival itself, but I was disappointed to miss the chance to see Enter Shikari play their classic debut album Take To The Skies in full. It was something… Read More Record of the Day #3 – Enter Shikari, Take To The Skies
Record of the Day #2 – The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, Between Bodies
The World Is A Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid To Die have never been a band afraid to push the envelope. Even their very name seems a challenge to the listener, an obstacle of sorts to overcome as a way to gain a greater appreciation for the music produced under the moniker. With… Read More Record of the Day #2 – The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, Between Bodies
A Lonely Ghost Burning – Oneiric Escapisms
Started in early-2015, the Oneiric Escapism branch of all-things A Lonely Ghost Burning offered something different, the intentions of the compilations varying from those of the counterparts. Here, the emphasis was on finding something sonically absorbing, and the artists considered seemed intent on spellbinding a listener instead of simply soundtracking a mood or moment. It was an… Read More A Lonely Ghost Burning – Oneiric Escapisms
A Lonely Ghost Burning – A Bounty Of Beautiful Songwriting
Although not as directly relevant to the content on this site as the Alternative Melodies strand of A Lonely Ghost Burning, the Beautiful Songwriting compilations are well worth a look as well. They’re worth a look more so if you’re a fan of slow, haunting, mostly-acoustic tracks that rely mainly on a great voice above all else.… Read More A Lonely Ghost Burning – A Bounty Of Beautiful Songwriting
